1967 Jaguar 340 Sedan: A Special Breed of Cat

By
MARK ELIAS

Mar 22, 2007

Mark Elias

David Roth of Bradenton, Florida, is lucky his wife, Elsa, loves cars, too. In 1999, when the chance to buy a less-than-perfect repainted 1967 Jaguar 340 Saloon came along, she said yes, on the condition that it was restored correctly. With that blessing, Roth started work on one of 535 left-hand-drive models that were built for overseas markets.

The car was purchased new in November 1967 by Bernard Goclowski, an American engineer working in Britain for General Electric, from the Glasgow dealership of racing great Jackie Stewart. Goclowski took delivery of the beige entry-level Jaguar at the Coventry assembly plant. Optional wire wheels, a four-speed manual with overdrive and the left-hand-drive gave Goclowski a unique vehicle. In April 1968, he and the 340 went home to Massachusetts.

The Jaguar clocked 66,000 miles during eight years before being sold in 1975. The second owner kept it for five months before selling it to a doctor in Albany, New York. It eventually ended up at Donovan Motorcars in Lenox, Massachusetts, by chance just minutes from its original owner’s home. Details are sketchy, but it is known that the 340 was acquired by a member of a Jaguar club and ended up in Roth’s New Hampshire barn for storage.

Longtime Jaguar owners, the Roths had no cat at that time, and the friend who was storing the car in their barn offered it to them for purchase. They agreed, and the restoration began in 2001.

A complete redo of the body ensued, along with rewiring and an engine rebuild by Gary Hagopian, who advised Roth, “The first $5,000 you get for this car, sell it!” The car was campaigned in Jaguar events throughout the state of Florida.

The sedan, derived from the Mark II series, rides on a 107-inch wheelbase and is powered by a twin-camshaft, 3.4-liter six-cylinder XK engine. Developing 210 hp with a top speed of 110 mph, the 340 was radical for a small sedan that could carry five passengers. Innovations not yet mainstream in that era included four-wheel disc brakes, radial tires and power steering with an adjustable telescoping steering wheel.

Mark Elias

The Jag’s handling is controlled by semitrailing wishbones up front, while the rear features a trailing-link setup, including cantilever semielliptical springs. The fuel capacity is 14.5 gallons. A full-size spare and a complete tool set rest below the floor of the car’s 13.5-cubic-foot trunk.

As equipped, this Jaguar 340 stickered in 1967 for $4,485. The Consumer Price Index equates that to $26,922 in today’s dollars.

Starting it up is an easy two-step affair. Turning the ignition on and pushing the starter cause the engine to purr to life with a sound that reminds you this is not one of Coventry’s latest. Even after 40 years, the H-patterned gearbox is still taut, offering sure-footed settings in the gates. Nestled into the walnut-finished dashboard are a 140-mph speedometer, a tachometer, and amperage, fuel, oil and water temperature gauges. Other niceties include map and glovebox lights and¬—a sign of the times¬—a cigar lighter.

The largeish Bakelite steering wheel and the power-assisted steering offer a secure road feel, reassuring considering this 3080-pound car is capable of 0 to 60 mph in eight seconds. Overall, the Jaguar 340 Saloon is a surprisingly civil car to drive, even if this cat has used six of its nine lives in nearly 40 years of service.

The Roths have been involved in Jaguar clubs for many years, having owned 15 different models since 1989. David Roth says they continue in the culture not merely because of the competition that “makes us maintain and improve these cars but because of the great people we’ve met—people who are as crazy as we are!”

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